Lock device for vehicle

1. A lock device for vehicle which is installed to one of a vehicle body and a door capable of being opened and closed with respect to said vehicle body, said lock device comprising:

a hook rotatable between a locked position at which said hook is engaged with a striker that is provided on the other of said vehicle body and said door to hold a closed state of said door, and an unlocked position at which said hook is disengaged from said striker, said hook being biased to rotate toward said unlocked position;

a pawl rotatable between an engaging position at which said pawl is engaged with said hook to hold said hook in said locked position and a non-engaging position at which said pawl is not engaged with said hook, said pawl being biased to rotate toward said engaging position;

a cam member rotatable relative to a support member about a rotational center shaft and having a cam surface;

an actuator which produces a driving force for rotating said cam member; and

a lock release lever which includes a rotational center portion supported to be rotatable relative to said support member, and a cam follower which is positioned between said rotational center portion and an end of said lock release lever and comes in contact with said cam surface, wherein, by receiving a force from said cam surface via said cam follower, said lock release lever rotates between a lock allowable position at which said pawl is allowed to be positioned in said engaging position and a lock release position at which said pawl is made to rotate to said non-engaging position,

wherein said lock release lever extends over said cam member, and

wherein a holding portion is formed on one of said end of said lock release lever and said support member, and is in slidable contact with the other, and

wherein said holding portion is positioned on a hypothetical line connecting said rotational center portion of said lock release lever and said cam follower.

2. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of said lock release lever which ranges from said rotational center portion to said end is substantially straight in shape.

3. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a pressed portion is formed at said end of said lock release lever to enable a locked state to be released by pressing said pressed portion.

4. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said lock release lever is held in a state where said cam follower is spaced from said cam member in a direction parallel to a rotational support shaft of said lock release lever.

5. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said holding portion constitutes a part of a member containing said cam member.

6. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said cam follower constantly comes into contact with said cam surface of said cam member when said cam member is driven by a motor.

7. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a worm that is engaged with said cam member is provided between said cam member and said rotational center portion of said lock release lever.

8. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a radial distance from the rotational center of said cam member to said cam surface varies depending on the circumferential position of said cam surface.

9. The lock device for vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein in said support member, a stopper is provided in order to restrict the rotational range of said cam follower.